Afghanistan bounced back from their opening night’s defeat to Pakistan by downing UAE by 38 runs in Match 3 of the tournament in UAE. Afghanistan looked a determined lot wanting to win and they outclassed UAE in all facets of the game to get the win in Sharjah. Put into bat first, Afghanistan rode on Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal’s sparkling half-centuries and crucial contributions from Azmatullah Omarzai and Karim Janat to post 188/4 in 20 overs.
While defending the total, Sharafuddin Ashraf’s 3/24 and captain Rashid Khan’s 3/21 restricted UAE to 150/8 in 20 overs despite a magnificent 67 off 37 balls from Muhammad Waseem and an unbeaten 52 off 35 balls from Rahul Chopra the keeper batter. But players around them failed and wilted under pressure to lose the game easily. UAE have now lost both their games while Afghanistan have won one and lost one and second behind Pakistan in the points table.
Ibrahim Zadran & Sediqullah Atal’s sparking 50s propels Afghanistan to 188/4.Â
Put into bat first, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal came out to open the batting for Afghanistan while Junaid Siddique had ball in hand for UAE. Atal made his intentions clear as he hit Siddique down the ground past mid-on for a boundary. Muhammad Rohid Khan was given the ball from the other end and he bowled a tidy over. Gurbaz managed to get a lucky boundary through the slip cordon towards third man. Rohid got the breakthrough for UAE dismissing Gurbaz for 7 off 11 balls with a boundary to his name.
Rohid bowled short of a length delivery moving away with the angle and off the seam pitched around the off-stump line. Gurbaz shuffled across to guide it through the off-side and gets the outside edge where the keeper Rahul Chopra moved a couple of steps to his right to complete the catch. Ibrahim Zadran came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway as Atal survived a run out scare at the striker’s end getting home in time.
Haider Ali came onto bowl next as Ibrahim hit him for a boundary through the point region. Muhammad Saghir Khan came into the attack to bowl the final over before powerplay and was greeted with a maximum by Atal over square leg. Atal was in his zone now as he hit back-to-back boundaries off Saghir. At the end of 6 overs of powerplay, Afghanistan were 43/1.
Haider continued and bowled a decent over. Dhruv Parashar was introduced into the attack next. Parashar too kept things under check as boundaries had dried up a bit. Atal finally broke the shackles as he launched Haider over long-off for the maximum. Atal once again hit the maximum this time off Parashar straight as an arrow for the maximum. At the end of 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings, Afghanistan were 74/1 with the players taking the Drinks Break as well.
Saghir came back after the break and was hit for a boundary by Atal behind square for a boundary as he reached his fifty in 37 balls. Ibrahim got into the act as he launched Parashar over deep midwicket for the maximum. He repeated the dose three balls later playing the slog sweep over deep midwicket for the maximum. Soon, the 100 came up for Afghanistan in 12.1 overs. Saghir broke the partnership as he dismissed Atal for 54 off 40 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes to his name.
Saghir bowled from around the wicket a short of a good length around the fifth stump slower ball, Atal hung back and looked to steer it down towards third man and got a thick outside edge to the keeper Rahul Chopra for an easy catch. Darwish Rasooli came out to bat next and got off the mark with boundary straight down the ground over the bowler’s head. Ibrahim then flicked Saghir over deep backward square leg for the maximum. Haider Ali bowled his final over and kept things tight to finish his spell.
Rohid returned and got rid of Rasooli for 10 off 7 balls with a boundary to his name. He bowled a hard length outside off-stump, Rasooli stood tall and looked to pump it over the top of mid-off. He failed to clear the fielder and mistimed it from the splice of his bat. Ethan D’Souza took a simple catch at mid-off. Azmatullah Omarzai came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Ibrahim managed to hit a boundary behind square off Rohid. After 15 overs, Afghanistan were 126/3.
Debutant Harshit Kaushik came into the attack for the first time in the 16th over. Ibrahim him him behind square for a boundary and got to his fifty in 33 balls his 9th T20I fifty. Soon, Omarzai got a reprieve as Ethan D’Souza put him down at long-on as he slipped while trying to take the catch. Kaushik was the unfortunate bowler. Siddique returned as Omarzai whacked him over deep midwicket for the maximum. Ibrahim too climbed onto Siddique as he pulled him over deep square leg to send the ball out of the stadium and into the roof. The 150 came up in 17 overs for Afghanistan.
Omarzai smashed Saghir Khan over deep point for the maximum. Saghir eventually got the wicket of Ibrahim Zadran for 63 off 40 balls with 3 fours and 4 sixes to his name. Saghir bowled a fuller length around the fifth stump, Ibrahim looked to play the booming drive and got a thick outside edge which flew to the fielder at short third man where Siddique took the comfortable catch. Karim Janat came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Janat took the attack to Rohid Khan smashing him for back-to-back boundaries. He was not done yet as he smoked one over deep midwicket for the maximum. He finished that over by smashing Rohid once again over long-on down the ground for the maximum as 22 runs came off the 19th over. Junaid Siddique bowled a great final over giving only 5 runs as Afghanistan finished with 188/4 in 20 overs with Omarzai unbeaten on 20 off 12 balls with 2 sixes to his name while Karim Janat was unbeaten on 23 off 10 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name. 11 extras given by the fielding side.
Muhammad Rohid Khan picked up 2/34 in 4 overs. Muhammad Saghir Khan too picked up 2 wickets but went for 52 runs in his 4 overs. Junaid Siddique gave 34 runs in 4 overs while Haider Ali bowled decently for his 0/28 in 4 overs. Dhruv Parashar gave 30 runs in 3 overs while Harshit Kaushik bowled an over for 8 runs. It meant UAE needed an improbable 189 runs to pull off an upset over Afghanistan.
Sharafuddin Ashraf & Rashid Khan’s 3-wicket haul limits UAE to 150/8.Â
Chasing 189 for the win, Mohammad Zuhaib Khan and Muhammad Waseem came out to open the batting for UAE while Mujeeb Ur Rahman had ball in hand for Afghanistan. Zuhaib cut Mujeeb away for a boundary through backward point. Fazalhaq Farooqi took the new ball from the other end. Waseem got into the act as he smashed over deep backward square leg for the maximum. Farooqi got the early breakthrough for Afghanistan getting rid of Zuhaib Khan for 7 off 7 balls with a boundary to his name.
Farooqi bowled an inswinger full angling in at the pads. Zuhaib looked to flick it away on the onside. He lost his balance on the off-side and got a leading edge which ballooned up in the air. Ibrahim took a simple catch at short cover. Ethan D’Souza came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Waseem was on a roll as he smashed Mujeeb over deep midwicket for the maximum into the roof. He then launched Mujeeb straight down the ground for the maximum as well.
Waseem got a reprieve as Farooqi dropped a sitter at short fine leg off Mujeeb. Waseem crunched Farooqi through the covers for a boundary. Sharafuddin Ashraf came into the attack next and was greeted with a boundary from D’Souza. Atal then dropped Ethan at long-on. Waseem slashed him over backward point for a boundary. He was not done yet as he swept flat and hard over deep forward square leg for the maximum as the 50 came up for UAE in 5 overs.
Azmatullah Omarzai came into the attack to bowl the final over of powerplay as Waseem flicked him through deep square leg for a boundary and smashed a straight down the ground maximum over deep backward point. At the end of 6 overs of powerplay, UAE were flying high at 66/1. Captain Rashid Khan came into the attack straightaway after powerplay. Waseem soon brought up his half-century off 25 balls with a brace off Rashid. Omarzai returned and once again was put away by Waseem through mid-off for a boundary.
Rashid provided the breakthrough for his side as he dismissed Ethan D’Souza for 12 off 11 balls with a boundary to his name. He tossed it up around the leg stump and was a googly from Rashid. D’Souza changed his stance and went for the reverse sweep. He missed it on the inside edge and wore it on the front pad. The finger went up. Ethan felt the ball pitched outside leg stump. But it does not matter, as there is no DRS in this series. Rahul Chopra came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace.
Waseem took the attack to Rashid as well launching him downtown for the maximum. Ashraf came back and dismissed the UAE skipper Waseem for 67 off 37 balls with 4 fours and 6 sixes to his name. Ashraf bowled a length ball around off gripping and straightening, Waseem went back and across to heave it across the line. He got a top edge that ballooned up in the air. Mujeeb ran backwards and took a good catch with fingers pointing upwards. Asif Khan came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
After 10 overs at the halfway stage of the chase, UAE were 91/3 needing 98 more off the last 60 balls. Rashid returned and got rid of Asif Khan for 1 off 3 balls. Rashid from over the wicket bowled a fuller length delivery pitching on the fourth stump line and turning back in and was a perfect wrong-un from Rashid. Asif lunged forward and swung blindly as the ball turned back and rattled the top of off-stump. Debutant Harshit Kaushik came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Veteran Mohammad Nabi was introduced into the attack and bowled a decent over as the required rate began to climb up for UAE. Mujeeb returned and was hit for a boundary by Chopra as he finally broke the shackles. Nabi continued and got rid of Harshit Kaushik for 4 off 11 balls. He bowled a short delivery pitching on the middle stump line coming back with the arm. Kaushik backed away in the leg side to pull and launched it high up in the air and did not get any distance on it. Noor from deep midwicket ran in to complete the catch. Dhruv Parashar came out to bat next.
Rashid bowled his final over and got rid of Parashar for 1 off 4 balls. He bowled a full length delivery pitching outside the off-stump line and turning a shade away from Parashar who got forward looking to heave it into the leg side. He got a faint outside edge that carried to the keeper behind the stumps. Muhammad Saghir Khan walked out to bat next as Rashid finished his spell. After 15 overs, UAE were 111/6 and needed 78 more off 30 balls.
Ashraf then got into the act and dismissed Saghir for a silver duck. He pitched it full on off-stump line, Saghir cleared his front leg and clubbed it straight down the ground off the bottom half of the bat. He launched it in the air and didn’t quite get the distance. Omarzai at long-off ran to his right and leapt in the air to take a two-handed catch inside the ropes. Haider Ali came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Chopra continued to fight as he launched Mujeeb back over the bowler’s head for the maximum over long-off. Ashraf came to bowl his final over and got rid of Haider Ali for 2 off 5 balls. From around the wicket, he bowled fuller in length just outside the off-stump. Haider swung hard with all his might but never got enough of the blade. He struck off the bottom half and picked up Nabi at long-off running forward. Junaid Siddique came out to bat next and got off the mark.
Farooqi returned as Chopra launched him over square leg for the maximum but it was too little too late in the game now. Chopra entertained the fans as he hit back-to-back boundaries off Omarzai and hit the last ball of the innings for the maximum over midwicket to get to his fifty off 35 balls. But it was Afghanistan who had the last laugh winning by 38 runs. Rahul Chopra remained unbeaten on 52 off 35 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to his name while Siddique was unbeaten on 1 off 5 balls. Just 3 extras given by Afghanistan as they won this game easily.
Rashid Khan was the pick of the bowlers for Afghanistan finishing with 3/21 in 4 overs. He was ably supported by Sharafuddin Ashraf who finished with 3/24 in 4 overs. Mohammad Nabi chipped in with 1/9 in 2 overs. Fazalhaq Farooqi chipped in with 1/24 in 3 overs. Mujeeb gave away 36 runs in 4 overs and Omarzai gave away 36 runs in 3 overs. So, Afghanistan win by 38 runs and for his splendid bowling display Sharafuddin Ashraf was awarded the Player of the Match.
So, Afghanistan moves upwards to second in the points table with 2 points with a win and a loss to their name while UAE have lost both their games and are rooted at the bottom of the points table. Pakistan are on top with 4 points to their name.
What Lies Ahead.Â
There is no rest for Afghanistan as they are back in action later tonight in Sharjah. They will face-off against Pakistan at 8:30 PM IST as the second round of fixtures starts tonight. A win for Pakistan will send them into the finals for sure. Can Afghanistan exact revenge from opening night defeat? Only time will tell.
The stage is set for a rip-roaring battle between Afghanistan and Pakistan as the Afghans would love to pull one back against Pakistan. All teams batting first have won so far in this tournament. Will that trend continue or change tonight? We shall find out the answer soon.